Chapter 6: Travel Bonding

We went outside in the middle of the woods and Zane checked his watch. "We have a couple hours, let's see what you can do." He said, looking at me expectantly. Dimitri looked at me as well and I looked between the both of them, confused. 'Am I suppose to do something here?'

After a few more awkward moments, Dimitri stepped forward. "Okay, you probably don't remember but your body should! So feel the heat in the palm of your hand, focus on it and make it spread higher. Pour your emotions into it til it catches flame then..." Out of no where, a ball of flames appeared in his hand and he threw it into a nearby bush.

I watched the flame flicker, amazed, as the bush began to burn. Zane wiped his forehead then put both hands together and slowly pulled them apart, a small stream of water forming in between both hands, then whipped the fire out with it. "Holy shit!" I exclaimed.

"It's easy." Zane said simply. "You can do it too, just concentrate."

I closed my eyes and focused on what Dimitri had said earlier, trying to make that fire in the palm of my hands. I remembered all the pain and confusion from these past days and focused that into the warmth in the palm of my hands. My hand felt warmer and I focused to make it grow. Then I did that tossing motion and opened my eyes...and nothing had happened.

Dimitri rubbed the back of his neck. "Okay, maybe she needs her memories for elemental stuff. Um...how about hand to hand combat? Rose, come punch me."

'Why do I feel like he's crazy again?' "Um...okay..." I said unsure. I slowly walked up to him. "Do we have to do this?"

"Yes, now punch me, as hard as you can!" He exclaimed, thrilled for some unknown reason.

I balled my hand into a fist and swung at him as hard as I could in the face. He didn't budge and he didn't look impressed. "That was weak." Dimitri stated, "Zane, did she always suck at punching?"

Zane was watching us with a calculating look. "No, she was quite skilled. There was a debate on if she should join the army, but her father wouldn't let her. Something's wrong." He sighed. "Maybe she needs her memories for that too."

Dimitri pouted. 'Aw, he's so cute...' "I got it! Running! Race me, chica!" He said before taking off in the blink of an eye. I started after him, running as fast as I could. 'Come on, body, remember what you were before...'

I have never run faster in my life. And my lungs felt it. I stopped halfway back, wheezing and breathing hard and Zane came up behind me, completely fine. "Let." I panted. "Me...guess..." I stopped for a minute, desperately trying to catch my breath. I put my hands on top of my head. "Need my...memories...for that too..."

Zane crossed his arms and looked at me with some sad expression. "It would appear so."

We walked the rest of the way back and found Dimitri waiting by the car, bummed out. "This sucks. I thought for sure you'd have muscle memory or something!"

"I'm sorry." I mumbled, wiping the sweat off my forehead.

"Gather everything for the car, let's get ready to board the plane." Zane ordered. Dimitri and I listened and the three of us headed into the airport. We went through security again and waited in the waiting area for the rest of the time. I fell in and out of sleep and before I knew it, it was time to board the plane.

The airplane was packed and Zane was seated up front while Dimitri and I were seated in the back, next to each other. I couldn't see him from my seat. "You think Zane is okay sitting by himself?" I asked Dimitri.

"Sure he is. Probably prefers it, too." He answered, slouching and getting comfortable in his seat. "So long as you're not alone, he's happy."

It was quiet a moment. "So...if you had a chance from the start, like you were born anywhere and there was nothing," I paused and looked around at the other passengers, who all seemed to be lost in their own little worlds, "...from your past that existed, like you could have a fresh slate, where would you want to be?"

"Hmm..." Dimitri pondered. "Probably a little farm somewhere, where the sun shined bright." He looked at me, his dark brown eyes sparkled with excitement. "I love the sun. It's so warm and...happy."

I smiled at him. "It is."

"And if I had a farm, I could grow food and have animals, some which I'm sure I would eventually want to eat, but the others could be like pets. I never had a pet." He said wistfully. "Have you?"

I nodded. "Yup, I've got a cat back home with my parents. Her name is Callie. She's an orange tiger cat, really cute and cuddly sometimes, but others she's really playful. Hunts flies too."

He grinned. "Sounds wonderful."

"So on your big, happy farm, would you be alone? Or have friends?" I asked.

"No. I don't like being alone." Dimitri stated, before looking into the head of the seat in front of him. He thought for a moment. "I'd have just Zane and you."

I was stunned. "Me?"

He glanced over at me. "Yeah, well, can't have Zane on my farm without you, can I?"

It's stupid but I was hurt. 'He doesn't care for me as me...just as someone who means something to Zane...' "I see."

"Plus, we're a group now. The three of us against the world!" He laughed quietly to himself. "It's funny, I thought I'd hate you."

"Why?" I asked quietly, trying to get comfortable.

"Because I thought you leaving was selfish. And because of how much it hurt my best friend." Dimitri said, oddly serious and lost in his own thoughts. It was more like he was speaking his thoughts aloud then having a conversation with me. "I also thought that you being back, would mean Zane had no reason for me anymore. Like once you were back, once he finally after so much time had you back, all those years and all the good times we had together would just vanish. And I'd be no one again."

'Poor Dimitri...' "I don't think so many years could just vanish like that. The bonds made in those years...they have to mean something, don't you think?" I asked, thinking of Anne as I spoke.

We both looked at each other and I gave him a small smile, which he returned. "Yeah. You're right."

"You should get some sleep." I suggested. "I've kept you up with my blabbering long enough."

It was the truth and Dimitri did honestly look tired. He nodded and fell asleep within moments. But the real reason I wanted him to go to sleep, is so I could look at him without being caught. It's funny, he's a demon, but he looks like what humans think of as angels, when he sleeps, if that makes any sense. Like he just looks so...peacefull. And beautiful.

I slowly got closer and paused, making sure he didn't stir. When he didn't, I gently rested my head on his shoulder. It felt firm but comfortable. I closed my eyes, willing the world along with right and wrong away, and fell asleep on the shoulder of the guy I knew I had strong feelings for.

Dimitri woke me up, he was standing and I looked around confused. "Come on, we're here. We have to meet Zane in the lobby."

I nodded and followed. We met up with Zane and got breakfast and then we were on our way. We took a bus to the train station and hopped on a train that we would take for a couple of days. We were all seated together and we played cards, ate and it was all so...normal. We couldn't talk about any angel or demon stuff, not with other humans around or potentially other angels and demons, so we just kept it light.

It was really fun. I taught them the 'Would you Rather' game and they already knew truth or dare, so between the games and the simple need of eating and sleeping, time flew by quickly. And as a group, I think we all got closer. I even felt a bit more at ease with Zane.

We exited the train at our stop and there was a small town. Zane wanted to rent a car as quickly as possible but Dimitri well didn't. "Come on, she's never been to a bar man. And we haven't gone many times either. We have to take her at least once, this is probably her only chance for it."

Zane glared at him. "I don't want to take her to a bar, I want to take her to the Oracle so she can get her memories." He said low and dangerously.

"For what it's worth, I want to go to a bar." I spoke up, giving Zane pleading eyes. "Please? I've never been!"

"No."

"Come on, man, it's one night. One night won't make a difference." Dimitri persuaded.

"I said no."

"Well why don't we take a vote?" I offered.

Zane turned his glare to me. "No." His voice was so final, it almost made us not want to argue. Almost.

Dimitri smiled wide. "A vote it is! All in favor, raise your hand!" Dimitri and I both raised our hands high. "It's decided, we're going to a bar, let's go!" Dimitri grabbed my hand and Zane's and started dragging us towards the local pub.

'This is gonna be fun.'